Happenstance
by YumKiwiDelicious
Summary: It wasn't that we were bad kids. We weren't even misunderstood kids. We were just kids with a kid living off racing and hoping for the best as we went. In the end, I figured no one could blame us for trying. Jesse/OC. UP FOR ADOPTION.
1. First Meeting

The first time I went to an illegal street race, I was barely fourteen years old. With a scrawny build and hair down to my butt, it was a wonder I even had two friends to my name. I was kind of the class brain, always excited to go up to the board and prove myself. I'm sure a majority of my classmates found it obnoxious, but Mia Torreto didn't seem to mind it at all.

She was a smart girl, top of her class, and impossibly friendly. She, Leticia –Letty- Ortiz and I became fast friends not long after I transferred to their school in my sixth grade year, their eighth. Letty, like Mia, was always quick to defend me, just in a more physical manner. More than a few boys ended up with black eyes after calling me some rather nasty names. But what could you expect, teens were cruel.

Mia and Letty often invited me around to the Toretto place –Letty practically living there herself- but I was usually too afraid to go. I'd heard about Mia's brother, Dom, and his friend, Vince, and they didn't seem like the kind of guys I wanted to be around. At thirteen, I was impossibly shy, having never kissed a boy or even been on a real date. Just from rumors. I knew Dom was very good looking and didn't want to risk making a fool out of myself.

But avoidance could only win you so much time. Mr. Toretto was fond of me in a daughterly sort of way, and one day he convinced me to stop by. Just to have dinner – then I could go back to my chemistry set. I'd agonized for hours on what to wear, pulling at my hair as if it wear the end of the world. To my adolescent mind, it might as well have been. When I finally arrived to their house, half an hour late and dressed in a hideous sweater, no one even blinked an eye.

Sitting down at the table, Mia had happily introduced me to her brother who was too busy eating to acknowledge me. Even with the rude attitude and less than perfect table etiquette, it was love at first site for me. I found any reason I could to be at the Toretto house after that. No one minded, and I was treated like family after only a few weeks. After a few years I was basically blood.

Mr. Toretto showed me around the shop, slowly giving me the basics on cars and racing. From the way Dom always watched with rapt attention, I could tell he really admired his father and his profession. Soon, I grew to love cars and racing too, staying up some nights with Letty fantasizing about the amazing cars we'd have someday. She was the only one I told about my crush on Dom, and that was only because she shared the feeling. Mia was blissfully unaware for the most part. The two of them had gone into high school by now and she had her mind on college

From the beginning, I knew Dom and Vince dragged on the weekends, borrowing boosted cars from some of their neighborhood friends. Mia and Letty bragged about going to the races, always pleading with me to go, but I refused. As much as I liked Dom, I wasn't about to break the law just to get into his good graces. After nearly two whole years, he still treated me like just a kid and I didn't blame him, he was five years my senior, practically an adult.

It wasn't until the night of my fourteenth birthday that I finally caved to Mia and Letty's pleading and agreed to go to a race. My mom was always away at work for the most part so I figured she wouldn't miss me for a few hours on a Wednesday night in the middle of summer vacation. I was about to be in high school anyway. It was time I lived a little.

The girls had dressed me in what could barely be called clothes; a denim mini skirt under a small black tank top that kept riding up over my belly. I'd blushed as I'd seen myself in the mirror and immediately started to back out of the plan. Letty and Mia were having none of it, both similarly dressed but looking for more comfortable. I envied them their confidence as we set out towards the races. Dom wasn't supposed to know Mia was ever there so we had to walk considering none of us drove. Mr. Toretto was working late at the garage. For me, the going was tough, and I teetered on the silver heals Mia had lent me. I had no idea how she managed it.

We made it to a long, flat road in about fifteen minutes, having followed the sound of revving engines for part of the way. My mouth dropped open as we stepped onto the racing scene. I'd never seen such nice, tricked out cars in all my life. Not even in the shop. Mia and Letty walked passed like they owned half the vehicles and I trailed them, feeling very out of place as I noticed the older girls slithering over some of the buffer racers. The crowd was pretty big for a Wednesday and it wasn't too hard for us to avoid Dom, though there were a few close calls.

For the most part we just mingled around the edges, Letty somehow managing to bum a beer off some guy that looked like he could be in college. It wasn't until the revving of engines picked up nearly an hour later that we even moved with purpose. Mia lead us through the crowd, pulling us up to stand behind a teenage Mexican boy that was standing on top of a mailbox. Standing on tip toe, I saw two cars pull up to a thick white line in the pavement.

"There's Dom," Mia said proudly, pointing to the car on the far right. My eyes widened as I took in the sleek black car he was in, turning to my best friend in concern.

"Mia, that's your dad's Charger!" I whispered urgently as Letty pulled herself up to kneel on top of the mailbox. Mia smiled, nodding her head as Dom revved the engine in challenge.

"I know," she whispered back. "It's the fastest car on any track and has enough Nos to blow the city." She'd said it as if it were a good thing. "Dom never loses."

I tried to reign in my terror, since she was so obviously ecstatic as I turned back to the racers. Ripping my eyes off Dominic with much effort, I looked into the other car which was a modified 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. Peering through the window I noticed the driver was a boy that didn't look much older than me and definitely years younger than Dominic. He had short, disheveled hair and wide eyes that were glued to the length of road in front of him.

"How much are they racing for?" I heard Letty ask the boy standing on top of the mailbox. I tore my gaze away from the mystery boy to hear the answer.

"Two big ones," he replied, sounding amused as he raised his hands above his head. I realized that he must be the person marking them and turned my eyes back to the 'track'. I couldn't help but wonder where both drivers got that sort of money. I never got to voice my question to Mia because at that moment, the boy dropped his arms and the two cars shot off.

"Go, Dom!" Mia whooped, bouncing excitedly as the whole crowd surged forward onto the street. I yelped in surprise, going with instinct and latching myself on the mailbox. Mia was swept away and looking up, I noticed that Letty was gone as well. Dread fell over me like a bucket of icy water and I sucked in a nervous breath.

"Mia?" I called, letting myself be moved forward by the crowd now. They were all moving towards the end of the "track" which was a quarter mile down at the train tracks. I couldn't see over everyone's head but as a cheer suddenly went up, I guessed that the race was over. "Mia?"

The crowd started thinning out again, people moving back up to the sidewalk as the drivers made to return. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself as I tried to work out the quickest way to find the two wayward girls. I was at the edge of the crowd now, still moving back as the two cars pulled up slowly, engines roaring loudly.

I temporarily forgot about locating my friends as I watched in awe as Dominic stepped out of the Charger. I'd been totally in love with him for two years, and I still stared. At nineteen, he was a fair bit taller than most, and had was in fit form, muscles stretching his shirt as he straightened out. There was a cocky sort of smile on his face and I guessed that he had won the race as a pack of well-endowed blondes were suddenly on him. My breath hitched and I looked away, instead letting my eyes land on the boy as he too exited his vehicle. He looked downcast, fingers up near his mouth as he chewed on his nails.

I tilted my head as another boy around Dominic's age came and grabbed the back of his neck. It wasn't a threatening hold, more like a brotherly one as he pulled the boy closer to speak into his ear. Even if I had been right next to them, I probably wouldn't have heard what he said with the noise of the crowd. Whatever it was though, the younger boy nodded, looking slightly more upbeat as he walked over to Dom, digging into the front pocket of his baggy jeans.

I watched as he handed a fat roll of money to Dominic who took it, looking humble despite everything. Two young men clasped arms and Dom said something lowly to the boy, while nodding his head. I could only guess what it was, but from the way the boy's face lit up, I assumed Dom was complimenting his racing. That could boost anyone's spirits I was sure. The two parted ways with respectful nods and Dom's eyes were scanning the crowd, just about to pass over me, when the mailbox boy from earlier suddenly started shouting.

"Cops! We got cops on the way!"

Everything slowed down for a moment as my brow puckered in confusion. But then as quickly as it had slowed, time sped up again and there was panic as everyone raced to get to their cars. I was shoved roughly from every side as I tried to keep Dominic in sight. I raised my arm, waving to him, but he didn't see me as he turned to jump into his car.

"Dominic!" My own cry was drowned out by Mia who suddenly burst through the crowd, hand in hand with Letty, both looking petrified. Clearly the rule about not letting Dom see us was forgotten when cops were thrown into the mix. I continued to fight my way towards them, watching as Mia said something rapidly to her obviously livid brother. Whatever his reply, it was short and curt as he shoved the two girls into his car before slamming his door and speeding off. Without me.

Freezing in place, just a few feet from where the Charger had just been, I blinked. They'd left me. They'd left me and I was alone and the cops were coming. The number of people around was getting smaller and smaller, custom cars zipping by me on every side as people made their escape. Soon I was totally alone on the street, still gawking like an idiot as I heard a siren behind me. Turning in shock, all I saw was the red and blue lights before I turned tail and ran.

It was a dumb idea I know. Honestly, I hadn't done anything wrong except maybe be out after curfew, and it was a long way back to my house yet. I could've explained all of this to the cops but panic got the best of me and I ran. The siren sounded again as I booked it up the road, veering to make my way onto the sideway. It was not easy in heals, believe you me.

"Stop!" the officer yelled over the speaker. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my legs to move faster as I turned into a nearby alley. Ignoring my usual fear of such places, I picked up my pace as I heard the police car pull to a stop at the mouth of the alley. It was definitely big enough for a car to fit through so I didn't bother slowing. I'd nearly made it to the other side when my right foot suddenly twisted out from under me and I went sprawling to the ground.

"Shit!" I hissed as I skinned my knee, adding to the pain of my ankle as I pushed myself up on my hands. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the cop car maneuver its way into the alley and start towards me.

"Don't move!"

"Not likely," I muttered, giving all my best to crawl my way to safety. Suddenly the sound of an engine roaring to life invaded the alley and I looked up just in time to be blinded by a pair of headlights rushing towards me. With a scream, I threw myself back to the ground, arms over my head as I heard the sound of tired skidding and smelt rubber burning.

The sound carried all around me before coming to a stop and when I lifted my head the car was gone. I blinked until I heard a door opening just behind me, nearly on top of me. Turning with a jump I recognized the Jetta from the race, its door wide open to me on the driver's side. The older boy I'd seen talking to the driver was behind the wheel now, leaning out and reaching for me.

"In ya go," he grunted, picking me up under the arms before I could protest and dragging me into the car. He passed me off to the person in the passenger seat before slamming the door and stomping the gas. The car lurched as we sped off from the alley, the cop car not being able to compete with the racer engine.

I'd twisted around in the seat to watch out the back window as the red and blue lights grew smaller and smaller in the distance. When they'd finally disappeared, I sighed in relief, sitting back to see whose lap I was currently sitting. I was only slightly surprised to see the young boy who'd raced Dom staring up at me nervously.

"Um…hey," he said, hands held up at his sides so that he wasn't touching me besides where our bodies were practically crammed together. "I'm Jesse," he continued, eyes still wide as he motioned to our driver. "Leon," he introduced, eyes roaming my face quickly before flashing down to my legs and back up. I blushed a deep scarlet and nodded. Silence fell over us. I was panting slightly from my run and there was pain spreading quickly through my right leg as I glanced down at my twisted ankle. Turning back to him, I blinked, green eyes meeting hazel as I tried to muster a nervous smile.

"I'm Maddie."

**Ok so that was the first chapter/prologue, hope everyone liked it. I am VERY aware that Dom claimed he never drove the Cgarger before, but I decided to ignore that little fact for this story. Tell me what you all think!**

**Thanks for reading!**  
><strong>~monie <strong>


	2. Five Years Time

I was never one to sleep too peacefully when others were in the room. Even if they too were sleeping, it was like my body couldn't stand the idea of not being the first one awake if there was another body nearby. Over the years it'd toned down a bit, but I still woke up a bit before the person I shared my bed with, though at a more reasonable hour. It was for this reason that I was awake to hear the tiny pitter patter of bare feet as they approached my bed.

"Mommy?" I sighed, not ready to surrender my day before it even started. My eyes remained closed as a chubby little hand found its way to my forehead. I held back a groan as my eyelid was pushed back by a tiny, tiny thumb. "Mommy, are you awake?"

"I am now, kiddo," I sighed, pushing myself up off the mattress with a huff. The blanket fell off my shoulder along with my boyfriend's arm as I rubbed the sleep from my eye. Blinking finally, I stretched before turning to look down at my son. He was a lot of me, but mostly his father; all bright eyes and messy hair. "What's up, munchkin?"

"Aunty Mia said it's time to get up," he recited, smiling happily. I blinked at his bashful face, nodding as a yawn worked its way out of my jaw. Standing, I ran a hand quickly through the boy's sandy hair as I stretched properly.

"Did you brush your teeth?" I questioned, running my fingers through my hair as I searched the ground for some sweatpants.

"Yes," he replied, clambering up onto the bed to sit where I had just been. Glancing around him I saw the tangle of long limbs that was his father and rolled my eyes.

"Did you _really?_" I pressed, finally finding my usual bottoms near the foot of the bed. I didn't miss his hesitation as I hopped into my clothes.

"Yes." With a huff, I turned back to him, eyebrow raised to high heaven as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Joseph Nathanial McArthur," I quipped, watching him squirm under my knowing gaze. "Did you brush your teeth this morning?" He looked up at me with big sad, doe eyes, but I held my ground. It was a Mexican stand off and I wasn't about to lose to a three year old. Finally he shook his head slowly in the negative. I nodded, having known he'd been lying. "What'd I tell you about lying?" I asked, helping him slide off the bed as we headed towards the bedroom door.

"It's bad?" he tested, tilting his head up to look at me, small hand folded within my own. I nodded again as we reached the doorway before squatting down to his level so that we were eye to eye.

"That's right, so don't try that again, you got me?" I questioned, one hand poised on his shoulder as the other aimed a finger between his eyes. He nodded quickly and I sighed, aiming a gentle smack to his rear as I stood straight again. "Go brush them now before you eat."

He nodded again before heading off in the direction of the bathroom. I waited until he'd turned in and I heard the scratch of his stepping stool in front of the sink. With a gentle shake of my head, I retreated back into the room I shared with Jesse James McArthur and shot a glare at him where he slept in bed. He snoozed on, unaware of the danger as I crept up, grabbed my pillow, and raised it slowly over his face.

"Wakey, wakey," I said, hitting him swiftly in the face. He sat up in surprise, a small yelp emitting from his lips as I tossed the pillow aside with a smirk. "Eggs and bakey." Finally seeming to spot me, Jesse groaned and flopped back onto the bed, his pale chest heaving as he sighed.

"Why the rude awakening?" he asked, sitting up on his elbows as I reclaimed my seat at the edge of the bed, twisting so that I could look at him. His hair was sticking up at all ends and he had large bags under his eyes.

"Joey didn't brush his teeth this morning and then tried to lie about it," I said accusingly, raising one fine eyebrow at him over my shoulder. I noticed him tense slightly as I continued. "Where do you figure he learned to do that?"

Jesse had the decency to look slightly embarrassed before he dawned a shit eating grin and shrugged as he slid himself to the foot of the bed. "No idea what so ever," he chuckled to himself as he pulled on his jeans that he'd grabbed from the floor. I rolled my eyes, swatting at his back as we heard tiny feet running down the hall again.

"Daddy!" Joey yelled as he entered the room and saw Jesse actually up and aware. He charged the young man immediately and I couldn't help but smile as Jesse grabbed his son and tossed him into the air.

"Hey, kiddo," he beamed, suddenly not seeming as tired as he held our son slightly above his head. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," the shaggy haired boy giggled as he was placed back on his feet again.

"That's good, hey now-" Jesse got down on one knee to talk with the boy. "What'd I tell you about lying?" My eyebrows raised in surprise as my son took to looking thoughtful for a moment. It wasn't as if I hadn't just asked him this question two minutes ago.

"It's bad?" he repeated, big green eyes wide in apprehension. Jesse scoffed and looked like he was about to deny this when I cleared my throat. He turned to look at me, mouthing a quick apology before turning back to Joey.

"Well yeah that, but _also_-" He moved in closer. "Never lie to your mom, you got me?"

I guessed that Joey was getting sick of hearing this because he just nodded quickly, attaching himself to Jesse's jeans as he stood straight again. "Can we go down stairs now?"

"Did you brush your teeth?" Jesse and I both chimed, already moving out into the hallway, the munchkin pushed between us. He nodded his head; letting out his own version of a sigh a he puffed air through his lips. I laughed, running a hand over his head as we descended the stairs. Jesse shot me an amused grin and I just rolled my eyes at him. Turning to the first level of the Toretto house, I noticed that everyone was up and gathered in the kitchen waiting for us.

"Well it's about damn time," Vince sighed as the three of us shuffled into the small kitchen. As I passed the big racer I smacked a hand upside his head.

"Hey, don't use that language around my son," I hissed, settling myself into the seat to Letty's right, pulling Joey onto my lap as Jesse took the seat beside me. The others murmured their tired agreements a we all sat in silence. This was a morning routine.

We all waited patiently, except on Joey's part, to see who would reach and grab the food first. It wasn't as if we weren't a religious bunch, but being put on the spot to say grace was always embarrassing. Joey huffed, looking from face to face before reaching over to tug on Jesse's sleeve.

"I'm hungry, daddy," he whispered, still loud enough for us all to hear. A collective snicker went up as Jesse's shoulders slumped and he tried to keep his weariness out of his voice. Letty let out a bark of laughter. This was the fifth time in a row.

"Um, ok, kiddo, I'll grab ya something," he muttered, reaching out and grabbing the plate that held the pancakes.

"Ok, Jesse, you know the drill," Dom's deep voice stretched out over the table. We all nodded, bowing our heads as Jesse sighed in annoyance. Reaching up with my eyes still closed, I pushed Joey's head down as well, his hands held in my other free one so that he wouldn't touch any food before grace was said.

"Dear God," Jesse wheezed, hands no doubt folded in front of his face. "Thank you for keeping my 1995 Jetta running smoothly along with all our cars." We all snickered. "Thank you for Nos tanks and insane horse power which let us kick a- butt on the streets. Amen."

"Didn't you forget somethin?" Leon snorted from across the table, none of us raising our heads just yet. I rolled my eyes beneath their lids as I imagined Jesse tilting his head in confusion.

"_Me_, daddy!" Joey piped up, turning his head so that he could look up at his father. I turned it back down again. We all bit back laughter as Jesse gave a belated 'Oh, of course!'

"And also thank you, God, for my son and his beautiful mother, amen."

"Aw, thanks, babe," I snickered, leaning over to share a quick kiss with Jesse as the prayer was officially ended. He smiled crookedly at me, shaking his head as he began to pile pancakes onto a dish for Joey.

Anyone walking by that saw us all through a window would've thought it was a holiday or something. It wasn't often that 'families' of_ eight_ lived comfortably and _peacefully_ together all under one roof, but we faired pretty well. With Joey sleeping on a smaller bed inside mine and Jesse's room, Dom and Letty sharing the master bedroom, Mia in her own room, Vince in Dom's old room, and Leon on the couch, we all did pretty well for ourselves in just the one house.

There was a time when it hadn't been as easy as all this. When Mr. Toretto had died, I wasn't even sure if the family would survive it but somehow they had. Barely, mind you considering how Dom had been put away not long after that, but here we sat. I would've never thought, the night of my fourteenth birthday, that the scrawny boy racing against the guy I thought I was in love with would end up being the father of my future son.

I smiled to think of how I'd ended up here as I poured syrup onto Joey's pancakes. Jesse and I had hit it off pretty easily after he'd returned me to the Toretto household that night. Of course by that point, Mr. Toretto was home and absolutely fuming at Dom's nerve. Taking the Charger out drag racing? Unheard of! Taking Mia and her 'little friends' to the race? Unspeakable! Leaving one of those little friends behind when the cops showed up? Downright shameful! Yes, he was completely livid and I'd never seen Dom look so scared in my life as Leon pulled the car up to the house.

Everyone was exceedingly grateful for the two 'snowflakes' for bringing me back where I belonged, and after hearing about his skill from a very timid Dom, Mr. Toretto had told Jesse he was welcome at the shop any time. Things had sort of just gone from there. The more time I spent at the shop, the more time I ended up spending with Jesse. I was still completely hung up over Dom, but Jesse was smart and funny and he really had a way with cars. We started dating later that same month.

To say I was completely ecstatic would have been an understatement. There I was, fourteen, never been kissed, about to go into the ninth grade when suddenly, a cute, funny, attractive boy rides in in a customized Jetta and swoops me off my feet, literally. I was walking on cloud nine and everyone could tell. I don't know when it happened, but slowly my infatuation with Dominic just sort of melted away.

I got more acquainted with Leon as he grew closer with Dom and Vince and soon saw him as the older brother I'd never really had. He told me that he and Jesse had been a team ever since Jesse's dad went into the slammer when Jesse was fourteen the year before. They'd been neighbors and Leon had watched out for the younger boy, teaching him the ins and outs of street life having come from a rather shitting home himself. The two were pretty much inseparable before I came along. But Leon didn't seem to hold any sort of grudge.

My freshman year went by in a blur of fast cars and Jesse and before I knew it, I was fifteen and it was summer vacation again. That's when the bomb had hit. Jesse and I had only had sex a few times, the first time hurting like a bitch and every time after feeling perfectly fine. It hadn't occurred to either of us to use a condom the first time around, I mean really what's the point right? Wrong. The little boy currently bouncing on my leg was proof as any that one time is all it takes.

Having him had not been played in the slightest, and my mother had promptly kicked me out as soon as she knew. A daughter who got knocked up by her boyfriend of little over a year at fifteen was not in her life plan. I'd moved in with Jesse and Leon for a time, keeping in very close contact with the others. Mr. Toretto had offered me a place for me and the baby but I knew money was tight. I could see it in Mia and Dom's eyes whenever they had to work the front. They were struggling.

The going was hard for a while. Jesse dropped out of school in the middle of his junior year and started fixing up cars at the Toretto's for money. Leon did the same in addition to his first job which was at some diner. They eventually fired him though for not being able to keep the hours. If not for the two of them being such skilled drag racers, I don't know what might have happened. Those had been the most stressful eight and a half months of my still young life. Jesse could sympathize with me on that, and his ADD didn't help anyone.

I wiped Joey's chin absentmindedly as I thought of the day he was born. It had been the best and worst day of my life. The best because I'd gotten to hold this sweet, innocent life in my arms for the first time with Jesse hovering nervously over my shoulder and the worst because it was the same day that Mr. Toretto was clipped in a race and went spiraling into the track wall, killing him instantly before the Nos tanks exploded. I didn't find out about the incident until late into the evening, having gone into labor suddenly while grabbing a bite to eat with Jesse. Neither of us had cells at the time so we'd gone to the hospital alone. Letty had finally guessed where to find us a few hours later. She was the one to break the news.

Finding out Mr. Toretto had died had torn me apart on the inside. I'd never known my father so he was the closest thing I'd had. I'd bawled into Jesse's chest for hours, cradling our new baby in my arms. He didn't even have a name yet. The next day, I was finally able to sign the birth certificate and I wrote down the first name that came to mind. Joseph after Mr. Toretto. Nathanial after Jesse's own father. I'd given him Jesse's last name without even a bit of hesitation and that was that. We had a son.

I was released from the hospital the same day and had immediately rushed into Mia's arms, weeping openly with the baby squished between us. Vince had finally pulled us apart, his own eyes puffy as he directed us to the cars. We'd headed back to the fort, Leon meeting the rest of us there. We'd mourned together, everyone feeling the loss in a different way. At first, Dom and Mia had just asked us all to stay until after the funeral. We'd packed a few sets of clothes and settled in for the next week and a half of lawyers and police officers flooding in and out of the house. When the funeral had come and gone, we just never left.

Leon had sold his parents old apartment and he along with Jesse, Vince, Letty and Dom began working full time at the garage. Mia worked the front, handing out disgusting tuna sandwiches to any who stopped in. I'd really wanted to help, especially after Dom got put away, but Joey kept me busy most of the day, and up crying along with him all through the night. If not for Jesse and his weird calming effect on our son, I probably would've gone insane.

I was happy to see though, that like working with cars, Joey seemed to calm _Jesse _down. He was never jittery or jumpy when handling his son and that put my mind at ease enough to sleep part of the time. And I'd got on with that slightly peaceful sleep for the last four years. Now nineteen, I worked the front of the shop full time, with Mia going part time so she could finish her schooling. Jesse, now twenty, still worked on cars, bringing in money from that and races. Enough so that we could afford food and clothes for Joey, and even some books to prepare him for school which he would be enrolling in soon. Yes, life was pretty good.

**Sorry to anyone who was expecting a long story about how they fell in love and got together and what not, I don't have that kind of time! This is a month before the movie begins s it's still a bit before it becomes movie verse so enjoy it! Hope everyone liked this and drop a review to tell me what you think!**

**Thanks for reading!**  
><strong>~monie <strong>

**p.s. this chapter was named after the song "Five Years Time" by Noah & The Whale :]**


	3. How's the Tuna?

When breakfast was over, the men plus Letty retreated up the stairs to get ready for work as I helped Mia clear the table. Joey did his part, passing me everyone's glass from his spot to the left of the sink. Mia and I chatted idly, the dishes passing swiftly between us until they were all clean and the left overs were stored in the fridge for later. Picking Joey up around the stomach, I let him wash his hands before setting him back down and doing the same.

I looked up as someone came pounding down the stairs and nodded as I saw Jesse enter the kitchen. Skidding over, he kissed my cheek before crouching down to hug Joey. "See ya at the shop, buddy," he said, ruffling the boys hair as he pulled away.

We both waved goodbye as he left through the front door, the sound of the Jetta purring to life reaching us not soon after. Looking down at Joey, I shrugged before ushering him up the stairs and back into our room. Digging around the drawers for a moment, I found us both a set of clean clothes and stuck my head out into the hallway. I nearly knocked heads with Leon as he passed, dropping a kiss on my temple as he made for the stairs.

Seeing that the bathroom was open, I hurried Joey into it and helped him undress before doing the same and pulling him into the shower. We both washed quickly and before too long, I was wrapping him in a fluffy towel. I dried myself quickly, brushing my teeth once I'd pulled on a fresh pair of underwear and a bra. By the time I finished, Joey was dry enough to slip into his tighty whities and blue board shorts. I let him leave the bathroom then, continuing on to brush my hair and pull on a pair of well-worn jeans and one of Jesse's old tank tops.

I gathered mine and my son's dirty clothes from the floor, leaving the bathroom just as Vince emerged from his room, fully dressed to head to the garage. He nodded at me before passing and ruffling Joey's hair from where he stood by our door. Even though Vince and I didn't always get on well, he obviously had a soft spot for Joey and we both knew that 'Uncle Vince' would protect him no matter what same as Dominic or Leon.

Once I'd wrestled Joey into a shirt and shoes, I slipped on some flip flops and ushered him down the stairs. The house was totally empty now, with Letty and Mia having gone ahead with Dom while I was in the shower and Leon having left right after breakfast. I locked the front door and took Joey's hand as we walked over to my car.

A seventeenth birthday gift from Jesse, it was a 1997 Volkswagen Cabrio that he'd customized himself at the garage. Like Jesse's, it was white but instead of blue flames, it had tendrils of purple smoke going down the sides, and the top was black. He and the others had put about $40,000 under the hood so it was faster than the average Cabrio. There were no Nos tanks though which I was thankful for. Despite the fact that Jesse had taught me a lot, I wasn't a serious racer and didn't think I needed it. I still loved it all the same, as did Joey.

The top was down now as it sat on the street, so it was easy for me to lift Joey into the back to strap him into his booster seat. He bounced excitedly, always happy to go to the garage and I had to smile at him. Jesse and I were lucky to have had a kid with such an easy to please attitude. I pulled the hood up, which was not easy alone, before getting into the front seat and strapping in.

The drive to the garage was short; Joey rambling about whatever came to his mind the entire ride there. When we pulled up, I parked in my usual spot next to Jesse's Jetta and hopped out. I could already see Mia as I unstrapped Joey. Pulling him over the front seat, I looked up and saw a large red truck pull into the lot. Squinting, I saw that it was the delivery truck from _The Racer's Edge_, the shop where the guys got all their parts.

The young man stepping out of the truck was a stranger to me though and I tilted my head as his eyes fell on me. He was about Jesse's height, with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes that scanned me curiously before landing on Joey. With a frown, I pulled the little boy behind my legs before heading to the shop entrance. The blonde man followed; walking in on the opposite side of the walk in. He didn't seem to find his staring to be rude and kept it up until he settled himself into a stool at the counter I was making my way behind.

"Can I get you anything?" Mia spoke up from where she was leaned against the cage of Dom's office. She waved at Joey as I pulled on a half apron. The guy finally took his eyes from me and I had to stifle a laugh as he looked at Mia. From the way those baby blues widened and his lips parted slightly, it was easy to tell what he thought of her. Mia just tilted her head, gazing at him patiently as he got his wits about him.

"Um…how's the tuna here?" he muttered, taking a quick glance at the menu. Joey giggled and I shot him a wink as Mia hummed lightly.

"Not so great," she said honestly, stepping forward and leaning on the counter. I raised my eyebrow slightly, but mostly ignored her as the guy looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'll take it," he said finally, nodding as a confidant smirk graced his tan face. "No crust please." Mia and I shared a look but I just shrugged as she moved to fill his order. Picking Joey up and setting him on the counter beside me, I turned to the new comer and tilted my head at him.

"So you work at the_ Edge_?" I questioned. He looked confused for a moment but I just nodded towards his truck and he gave a hum of recognition.

"Yeah, just started," he said as Mia stepped forward and set his meal in front of him. He thanked her, setting down a few bills as she leaned on the counter beside me and the two of us held our breath.

Everyone knew that the tuna here was absolute shit and we were interested to see what he made of it. Even Joey settled down enough to give his attention. The new guy shot us strange looks until finally just biting into the sandwich. The look on his face was priceless and the three of us snickered as he held himself back from spitting into his napkin.

"I tried to warn you," Mia laughed, pushing her hair over her shoulder prepared to take the plate back. The young man nodded, fist covering his mouth as he blanched

"It's not so bad," he coughed, grimacing. "Just sort of an acquired taste."

"I'll say." I turned to see Jesse make his way over from the back and rolled my eyes as Joey immediately lost his mind.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" he cried, bouncing on the counter as he reached his arms out to his father. I shared a smile with Jesse as he rushed over and picked up the squirming toddler.

"Joey, Joey, Joey!" he humored, holding him high over his head before lowering him again. The two started bantering back and forth and I let my eyes wonder over to the new comer. I laughed to myself as I saw his shocked eyes moving between me and Jesse and Joey and then back again. I knew it could be pretty shocking, most people thought Joey was mine or Jesse's younger sibling instead of our son.

"Jess," I called his attention to me, nodding at the tuna eater. "This is the new guy working for Nicky."

"Nice to meet you," Jesse said, forever friendly as he reached out a fist for the older man to pound. The squirt was currently wrapped around his knees, hiding. "I'm Jesse."

"Brian, hey how old is he?" the blonde asked, getting right to the point as he nodded at Joey who was peeking out at him. Jesse smirked, looking proud as he swooped down and picked Joey up around the waist. Slinging him over his shoulders like a bag of potatoes he flashed me a Chesire Cat grin.

"Well I don't know," he played dumb. "How old are you, Joey kangaroo?" He turned so that his back was facing us but Joey could look Brian right in the face.

"Three," the boy giggled, holding up three short fingers before Jesse turned around again, this time facing me.

"And when will he be four, mom?" he asked, sauntering over to the counter and setting Joey down on it once more. Pulling the little boy back towards my chest, I tickled his ear, smiling as he giggled.

"In one month," I put in, holding up one finger for Joey to see. He was beyond excited for his birthday and asked nearly every day how much longer he had to wait. We figured telling him one month would make it sound shorter than three and a half weeks.

"Wow, you're almost a man," Brian chimed in now, gaining a laugh from Joey and a grin from the rest of us. "You gonna grow up to race cars?"

I stiffened as Joey immediately shot off about how much he loved cars and how Dom was his favorite uncle because he knew the most about them and so on and so forth. I shared a concerned look with Jesse and Mia before tapping Joey on the shoulder. It wasn't smart to just let him go on in case he said something no one outside of the family needed to know.

"Joey, why don't you go help daddy with that Honda," I suggested, shooting Jesse a look to agree. "You know the one that Hector brought in yesterday?"

"Okay!" the little guy agreed immediately, jumping off the counter almost before Jesse could catch him. He muttered under his breath something about 'being more careful' before leaning over to kiss my cheek.

"See you two later," I said, waving them off. Jesse nodded shortly at Brian before retreating. When they were out of site, I steadied my gaze on the blonde who was watching me curiously.

"Cute kid," he said, shifting his weight slightly, eyes darting to Mia than back to me. The Toretto girl was also watching him closely, paranoid of someone trying to narc on her brother. I nodded my thanks, not letting up my stare. He fidgeted slightly; suddenly very interested in his sandwich before he looked up at me again, eyes squinted. "How old are you?"

"Touchy question," I teased humorlessly, letting my brow furrow at him as he sat back slightly.

"Yeah well I just thought you looked a bit young to…." He let the question fall and I nodded my understanding, finally leaning back from the counter and letting my eyes flicker away from his form.

"I'm nineteen," I said, flicking imaginary dust from the counter top. "Jesse's twenty." Brian shifted again and I fought to not roll my eyes. Most people were a little put off by our ages and I knew that silently, this new guy was judging us. I moved to take his plate from him but he waved me off.

"Nah, I'll finish it," he muttered, frowning down at the soggy sandwich as Mia and I both raised our eyebrows in surprise.

"But it's shitty," Mia laughed, confused as she picked up a spare rag to wipe the counter down. I figured it was just something to do since the thing was totally spotless.

"Well I already paid for it," he replied, grinning despite himself and picking up the sandwich. With a sigh, he took one big bite and we sat back and watched him. His response was less hostile this time and when he swallowed he only pulled a slight face.

"We _can _bum you a new sandwich," I suggested, glancing over at Mia to make sure this was okay. The older girl nodded, but the new guy just shook his head, holding firm to his sandwich.

"Its fine," he assured us, muscling through another bite. I had to admit, it was pretty entertaining to watch. It only took him about ten minutes to finish, and I along with Mia clapped when he swallowed the last bite. He waved us off, hand over his stomach as he stood.

"You took that like a champ," I congratulated, stepping out from behind the counter. Now that he was leaving, I was going to go grab Joey before he hurt himself or Jesse.

"I couldn't wimp out in front of you two," he laughed, letting his eyes linger on Mia who was busy discarding his dish. I shot him a knowing grin when he finally looked back at me.

"Well," I said, beginning to move backwards. "Don't come back here trying to make us pay when they need to pump your stomach."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he scoffed, turning now, giving Mia once last look before heading back out towards his truck. "Take care."

I aimed a small wave at his back, having the distinct feeling that I would be seeing him again very soon. The feeling was only strengthened as I saw him glance back at Mia before getting in his truck and driving off. Shaking my head, I motioned to Mia where I was going before hoofing it around the shop to the garage.

All the men were in here, waist deep under the hoods. Glancing around quickly, I noticed Jesse leaned forward in the engine of a black Honda. Joey stood on the front bumper, listening intently as his father pointed out the different pieces of this specific model. At the same time he was explaining what was wrong and teaching Joey how to fix it. I stepped up behind him, careful not to startle him in case he should hit his head on the hood.

"Ok so this one's only a six cylinder – remember when I taught you about those?" Jesse asked eyes bright as he turned to his mini look alike. He spotted me over the boys nodding head and smiled wider. "Is that new guy gone?" he inquired lowly, eyes darting across the garage before settling on me again. I guessed that he hadn't mentioned him to the others.

"Yeah, he beat it," I said nodding as I reached out and ruffled Joey's hair. "But I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again soon." Jesse just looked contemplative before nodding and returning to the lesson he was giving Jesse.

"Hey, baby-girl, can you pass me this wrench?" Leon called from his spot rolled under a Civic on the other side of the garage. Nodding at my two boys, I jogged over to help Leon, Brian and his strange questions slipping from my mind for the time being.

**Thanks for reading!**  
><strong>~monie <strong>


	4. To Grandmother's House We Go

Just like I'd predicted, the next day Brian showed up again asking for more tuna. I let Joey stick around this time, having had a talk with him about not talking about what his daddy and uncles did with strangers. Of course there'd been the argument that Brian wasn't technically a stranger anymore, but eventually he got the idea and promised to find something else to yammer on about.

"Ugh, how can you stomach it?" Jesse asked, coming out to greet Joey and me just like he had yesterday and had been doing everyday since I'd begun working the store. Brian shrugged, shooting a covert grin at Mia and my boyfriend and I shared a look. We knew just like the rest that anyone trying to see Mia would have to go through Dom first. And even if they survived that, they would have to put up with Vince's jealousy for the long haul. It was easy to see why Mia was single despite her good looks.

"Mommy, can we go see gramma today?" Joey asked, tiny hand fisted in Jesse's shirt. I glanced up from where I was wiping the counter and shrugged.

"Ask your dad," I told him automatically, knowing that ultimately it was Jesse's decision. He and his mother weren't on the best of terms, though she was always up for a visit from Joey. It wasn't the whole teen parent thing she had a problem with, it was the illegal street racing thing.

"Uh…sure, kiddo," he agreed sounding reluctant as his hazel eyes began darting about randomly. "As soon as we get off at the end of the day." I could tell he was deep in thought as he set a now very excited Joey down on the counter and walked off to the garage, a slight twitch to his step.

"So your parents supported you guys?" Brian asked curiously, watching Jesse go. I shot him a skeptical look but figured that the question was innocent enough.

"Jesse's mom did," I huffed tiredly, tossing the rag away from me. Pulling a jar out from under the counter, I unscrewed it and pulled out a lollipop, handing it to Joey. I offered one to Brian but he declined. "My mom tossed me out as soon as she heard and neither of our dads is really in the picture so…" I shrugged, putting the jar away again.

Brian nodded his understanding, watching Joey suck enthusiastically on his lollipop. I leaned against the counter, squinting at the young man thoughtfully. I had to wonder about his story but decided I wouldn't pry considering I already didn't feel comfortable with him asking me the most basic of questions. Questions like…

"Are you and Jesse married?" I flinched as I heard Mia drop the dish that had been holding the remains of his tuna. Lucky I didn't hear it shatter.

"You see any ring on my finger?" I scoffed, watching my son as he let his eyes roll around his head, probably in boredom.

"Not everyone wears theirs when they're working," he said as if it were common knowledge. Still I shook my head.

"Are you married?" Mia asked then, a flicker of something crossing her eyes. Brian stared at her for a moment, blue eyes squinted in amusement as he shook his head.

"Do you see a ring on my finger?" he mocked, letting his eyes flick to me. I flipped him off behind Joey's back which caused him to smirk as he stood. "No, I'm not married. See ya tomorrow." He'd just made it to his car when Vince came out from the garage, grease smeared across his hands as his took a seat at the counter. His eyes were trained on Brian as the young man pulled away from the lot.

"Who's that asshole?" he sneered. Reaching out, I smacked him upside the head much like yesterday morning and returned his glare with fervor.

"Just a customer," Mia said immediately, turning her back to us as she started shifting around the condiments. I rolled my eyes inwardly. She was so obvious sometimes. Vince didn't look convinced and he was practically growling as he rubbed a hand over Joey's back. Apparently I was the only one that cared about the stains.

"Wasn't he here yesterday?" he pressed, watching Mia closely as she bent to pick something up. I cleared my throat and his eyes immediately snapped to me, grimacing at being caught.

"He works at the _Edge_," I offered up, still pinning him with my knowing eyes. "He stops by on his way back to eat tuna." I heard Mia chuckle and grinned at her over my shoulder, officially releasing Vince.

"No one comes for the tuna," the buff man argued, pulling Joey off the counter and onto his lap. The young boy didn't protest, still preoccupied with his lollipop.

"Well, _he_ does," Mia spoke up finally, turning as she tossed a sugar packet away from her. "So don't try to start anything with him Vince, I'm not in the mood for it."

"Whatever," he scoffed, standing from his seat still holding Joey. I watched as he placed the young boy onto his shoulders not even flinching as he clutched a chunk of his hair. With on last sneer to me, he stalked off towards the garage, my son carried on his shoulders.

"God, he is so paranoid," Mia grumbled, running her hands through her hair tiredly. I rolled my eyes heaven ward and just shook my head at her.

"Oh come on, Mia, I thought you were supposed to be smart," I teased lightly, wiggling my brows at her. When all I got was a look of confusion in return I huffed, jumping up to sit on the counter. "Vince has the biggest thing for you, any idiot could see that," I explained, waving my hand absently.

Mia looked more angry than embarrassed because she just huffed and turned back to the opposite counter, again busying herself with salt and sugar packets. "Well I must not be an idiot then, because I don't see that."

I rolled my eyes one more time, pushing off the counter. As I walked past the older woman, I bumped her hip with mine, knocking her slightly sideways as I snickered. "Deny it all you want, Mia, but the buff man has got the hots for you." She scrunched up her face in displeasure as I laughed. Waving a dismissive hand over my shoulder, I headed back into the garage.

Looking around, I noticed Joey sitting on the closed hood of Vince's car, watching intently as he, Letty and Leon all looked over an engine on a nearby table. Knowing he was safe and knew better than to hop down alone, I turned my attention to finding Jesse. The car he'd been working on had been finished yesterday and so I figured he was away in his little nook thinking up some designs.

Walking over, I spotted him hunched over his laptop looking at a diagram of a particularly impressive engine. As I watched, the outline of the body of a car appeared and the engine was placed inside. Jesse clicked around furiously and the car slowly took on more characteristics, compartments being added and modified to fit in a certain number of Nos tanks. Color splashed over the body and the design on most of the teams' car appeared.

"That looks good, babe," I complimented, stepping up to him now. He turned to me, not jumping like he would have had he not been working on a car, and smiled. Reaching out, he slid his arm around my hips and pulled me closer, hugging me to him. I ran my hands lazily through his hair, watching as he buried his face in my stomach. "You know we don't have to go see your mother," I told him lightly.

"I told Joey we would," he sighed, pulling away and turning back to the laptop. With a few clicks, he saved and closed the design, letting an image of Joey and I show as his screensaver.

I nodded, sympathetic. Jesse hated the idea of ever breaking a single promise to Joey no matter the circumstances. I understood, considering his father had promised to stay on the straight and narrow so that he could look out for Jesse. Obviously that hadn't happened and so now Jesse was very careful about everything he did on the streets, not wanting to risk leaving us unlooked after.

I felt Jesse's hand stretch up my back and tug on a strand of my brunette hair. He didn't do it hard and I let him continue without comment knowing he probably didn't even realize what he was doing. It was a nervous habit of his that I'd noticed the same night I met him. Despite not wanting to touch me any more than he already was, he couldn't seem to resist gently yanking on a lock of my hair. I'd found it creepy then but now I enjoyed it, glad to know that I could calm him down too.

*"We could go now," he wheezed, checking his watch quickly before blinking up at me, his hand curling back down. I shrugged, nodding as I stepped back to give him room to stand. He stretched, skinny arms reaching over his head before he let them fall, the right one finding its way around my shoulder. Stepping back out into the garage, we told Dom where we were headed before collecting Joey and leaving.

"You wanna take my car or daddy's to grandma's, kiddo?" I asked as we passed Mia on our way out. There was no reason to take more than one car since we would all be going and returning together. The little guy thought for a moment before smiling up at me, looking like a mini version of Jesse.

"Daddy's!" he said enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of his feet as we turned to approach the Jetta.

I held Joey's hand and waited for Jesse to pull the spare booster out of his trunk and strap it into the back seat. He took Joey then, strapping him in as I slid gently into the passenger seat. Despite Jesse's reckless driving and the fact that Leon's big butt sat here more often than not, I was still worried about disrupting the Nos tanks that were hidden under the seat.

"Daddy drives fast!" Joey informed me, leaning forward in his seat until I calmly told him to sit back. "Drive fast to gramma's house, daddy!"

"Hey, what do you say?" I cut in, turning around in my seat as Jesse slid into the car.

"Please," Joey piped, kicking his short legs out in a show of him in excitement. I nodded, turning to face Jesse who was buckling in. When he turned to me, his eyes were bright again and pleading. Knowing I wouldn't be able to deny him this comfort, I just rolled my eyes in a sign of consent.

"Stay off the main roads_ please_," I quipped, settling down in my seat as I fastened my seat belt. Both Jesse and Joey seemed to let out little yelps of excitement as Jesse revved the engine to life. I couldn't hold back a smile as we pulled out of the lot and went speeding off.

Now I was never a thrill seeker. I didn't even know the term 'adrenaline junky' until I met Jesse. The idea that someone would intentionally go and do something crazy just to get their heart racing was foreign to me. For all my love of cars and racing, I had always been a bystander. An admirer. That all changed when I got with Jesse however.

For as skilled as Dom was, I wasn't sure even _his_ driving could compare to Jesse's. Dom told me once that he drove so that he could have a sense of freedom. The feeling washed over him whenever he was on a track and he let it drive him. Jesse drove as if racing _towards _freedom. Like if he drove just a bit faster, he could reach out his window and grab it. I'd never seen anyone drive like that, and whenever I drove with him, I felt like I could reach out and grab it too. It sent my heart racing and blood pumping through my ears. It was a thrill and a rush of adrenaline and I loved it. I knew Joey loved it too from the way he laughed whenever we made a sharp turn. It was better than an amusement park ride for him. He adored riding in his dad or uncles' cars whenever he got the chance. Even Letty had taken him out once or twice. We were a family of thrill seekers now.

The trip to Mrs. McArthur's house was short unfortunately. Even when taking the back roads, Jesse's driving got us there in record time and we all filed out of the car in a bit of disappointment. Jesse and I held Joey's hands on either side, keeping him from sprinting up to the porch without us. We approached the house, Jesse already twitching nervously and I cast him a sympathetic look as I rang the buzzer.

"Joey!" Mrs. McArthur beamed as soon as she opened the door. Joey screamed and dove into the middle aged woman's arms, already talking a mile a minute. She ate it up, barely dropping us a greeting as she retreated back into the one story house. Jesse and I shared a look before following, hands now clasped together between us in Joey's absence.

By the time we were all settled into the living room couch, Joey had told his grandmother everything that he had done since he'd seen her the week before and was on to talking about his upcoming birthday. The woman listened with rapt attention, smiling fondly at him as he gave her a memorized list of everything he was hoping to get, the smile only breaking for a moment as he mentioned a miniature race car. Jesse and I both flinched, holding back against shushing our son. He didn't see her every day like the others, so when we did visit, we tried to let him say whatever he wanted without interruption.

When he finally stopped to take a breath, Mrs. McArthur informed him about a fresh batch of rice krispy treats in the kitchen. I don't know how she did it, but it was like she always knew we were coming and was sure to have a snack for Joey. She was immediately being dragged to her feet and to the kitchen by the excited three year old. I listened intently as the two moved around in the kitchen, smiling to myself as Joey immediately said 'thank you' for his treat.

There was the scratch of a chair on linoleum and I figured Joey was sitting down to eat as Jesse's mother returned to the living room. The smile was gone from her face as she took a seat across from me and Jesse, smoothing her nurse's scrubs down as she did so. We all sat in silence for a moment, listening to Joey hum from the kitchen. I held Jesse's left hand tightly in my own as his right moved behind us to fidget with my hair.

"This Brian person sounds a bit nosy, don't you think?" the blonde woman said at last. I stifled a groan. Of course Joey would mention the new comer and the tension he was causing in the garage. She cast her brown eyes on Jesse and he flinched.

"He's not so bad," I answered, cutting in for his benefit. "He's just curious." Jesse nodded his agreement, eyes glued to his knees, his leg tapping impossibly fast and jostling mine.

"Curiosity killed the cat," she replied, eyes narrowing as she took in Jesse's grease stained jeans.

"Well then we should be fine," I said evenly, shrugging my slim shoulders lightly as we heard the scratch of chair legs across linoleum once more. I sighed in relief as Joey scurried into the room, grin wider than what should be possible.

"Did you push in your chair?" the woman asked, finally ripping her eyes off of us as she addressed Joey with a smile. He nodded, bounding into her lap and going off on some other long story. I thanked whichever member of Jesse or mines family that he had inherited that from as we settled down into the couch to wait out the visit to grandma's house.

**Sorry it's been so long, and considering this has been typed up since the day I submitted the last chapter I feel really bad [sweat drip] But I've been busy and not wanting to rush , plus the new site set-up has me really scrambled. Hope everyone liked this!**


	5. Life's a Race

I sighed tiredly a week after the visit to Jesse's mother's house, watching as Joey turned over in his sleep, snuggling down deeper into his bed covers. Pushing myself up from where I'd been lying next to him, I stretched out my cramped body and treaded into the hallway. Moving down the stairs, I spotted everyone gathered in the living room area speaking lowly.

"Finally got him to bed," I sighed, flopping onto Jesse's lap where he sat in the arm chair. He pulled my head down to his shoulder, fiddling with my hair as he kissed across my shoulder. Letty started humming discreetly under her breath and I shot her a warning glare. "When do you guys head out?"

"Few hours," Dom conceded, rubbing his hands over Letty's thigh from where she sat on his lap smirking evilly at me. "The trucks gonna be about an hour out of town."

"You guys shouldn't be doing this," Mia griped, arms crossed over her chest. "It's dangerous."

"Aww, Mia," Leon teased, not taking his eyes off the television screen. "I didn't know you cared." Vince snickered from his place on the arm of the couch, but stopped as he caught Mia's glare. Leon was unfazed.

"Dominic-"

"It's not up for discussion, Mia," the girls brother cut her off, giving her a look that said 'don't argue with me'. With a huff, Mia left the room, storming up the stairs. We all jumped as we heard her bedroom door slam a few moments later.

"She's gonna wake Joseph," I muttered wincing. Jesse shook his head, running his hand through my hair periodically as his eyes scanned my face. I could tell he was nervous about whatever was going down, but I ran a hand lightly over his cheek. "It'll be fine." Technically speaking, I didn't know what_ it_ was. Dom insisted that the less Mia and I knew, the better for us. I agreed on some level, but it still made me nervous to have no clue where Jesse was going or what he would be doing.

"Of course it will be," Leon cut in, finally turning to look at us. He shot me a cocky grin and I rolled my eyes, repositioning myself so that I was nearly straddling Jesse and thereby blocking the others from his view. "Yuck, get a room, kids."

We both flipped him the bird before going back to our staring contest. I watched as Jesse slowly calmed down, his limbs jumping less as he looked me in the eye. I ran my hand over his face again, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Don't worry so much," I whispered right into his ear. "You're gonna give _me_ ADD." He chuckled at this, nodding and taking one of my hands in his. We snuggled down in the chair, speaking quietly as the other prepared themselves for the jack. Mia didn't come back down from her room.

Too soon Dom was calling them to move out and despite my words of comfort to Jesse, I tenses. My hands fisted in his tank top and my breath hitched as he sat forward. I ignored the triumphant smirk he sent me, deciding instead to focus on his hands running up my back. I sighed.

"Don't worry so much," he mimicked, smiling easy at me, all trace of nerves gone. "I'll be there when you wake up."

"Promise?" I pushed, sliding easily off his lap as the others filed out the front door, calling out farewells to me and Mia even though she didn't answer. Jesse's eyes stayed locked with mine as he nodded confidently.

"Promise," he nodded, slipping his hands over my shoulders to pull me into a sweet kiss.

* * *

><p>He was definitely not there when I woke up however. I was ripped from sleep by the loud shrill ringing of the phone and yawned tiredly, wondering why no one else had answered it. Reaching out, I felt the empty space beside me on the bed and sat bolt upright. Nope, Jesse definitely wasn't there.<p>

With a quick glance at Joey, I leapt out of the bed, bare feet slapping against the floor as I skidded into the hallway. All but running down it, I threw open the door to the rooms that would usually keep Dom, Letty and Vince. Empty. Reaching the last room, I found Mia still in her bed and sleeping soundly. I thought of waking her up but decided against it at least until I knew what exactly was going on.

Running back the way I'd come, I passed mine and Jesse's room and continued to the stairs, taking them down two at a time. One look told me the kitchen and living room were empty and Vince was not in his usual spot on the pull out bed. Panic was fast beginning to set in as I hurried to the basement doors under the stairs. Flicking the light one, I could see from where I stood that no one was down there. I flicked the light off.

The phone was ringing again.

What had happened? Had the job gone wrong? Were they okay? Had they gotten pinched? Were they hurt? Were they even alive?

All these questions ran through my head in second as I rushed back to the kitchen. I approached the wall phone, praying silently that this wasn't the police, hospital or mortuary on the other end. My hand paused momentarily just in front of the receiver before I snatched it up and pushed it to my ear.

"Hello?" I stammered, voice strained as I felt my heart begin to sink.

"Maddie," came Dom's overly rich voice. "You and Mia need to get down here to open the diner."

Fear gave through to relief which gave through to anger faster than I had time to think on it. "Where the hell are you guys?" I growled, raking a hand through my knotted hair in annoyance. "Are you alright? Did you do the job? What the fuck-"

"Everything's fine," Dom cut in, sounding exasperated. "The job ran a little late," he explained. "We couldn't make it home before coming to open the shop."

"What?" I hissed incredulously before my eyes found the wall clock just over the back door. It was nearly one in the afternoon. "Sonofabitch," I cursed, ignoring whatever Dominic was saying. "Ok, fine, bye." I clicked off, barely managing to slam the receiver back in its cradle before bolting back up the stairs. "Mia!"

I thundered down the hall, throwing the girl's door open with a 'bang'. She jumped, her whole body twisting as she woke up, a bemused and slightly annoyed expression on her face. "Maddie? What the-"

"Come on, come on," I said over her, going over to her drawers and pulling out random articles of clothing before tossing them in her direction. "We're late and the diner needs to be opened."

"The diner?" she groaned, reaching out to gran the clock sitting on her night stand. "There's no way…" Her eyes widened as the bright red numbers glared out at her. "Oh shit!"

"I know!" I cried, leaving her room in a dervish as I went back to my own room. Falling down to one knee besides my son, I grabbed his shoulders, shaking him gently from sleep. "Hey, munchkin, time to get up." He whined, turning away from me, his hair sticking up all across his head. I smiled before lifting him completely off the bed and settling him on my hip. "I know, I know, buddy, but gotta get up now."

"I don't wanna," he mumbled against my shoulder as I walked to the bathroom. Cradling him around the stomach with one arm, I turned on the faucet and began scooping water into his face, attempting to wash it.

"Rise and shine," I huffed, throwing some water on my own face as he groaned. "I'm gonna go get your clothes, stay here and brush your teeth," I instructed, setting him down on his stepping stool before handing him his toothbrush and exiting the bathroom. "And really brush them!"

I flew into mine and Jesse's room, grabbing the first shirt I saw, only realizing it was Jesse's after slipping it over my head. I ignored this fact as I quickly dug around our drawers for clean underwear and a pair of denim shorts. Once I was dressed, I grabbed an outfit for Joey which luckily I had set out yesterday. Stepping out of the room again, I saw Mia coming out of her own room looking frazzled.

"Letty has my car," she sighed, brushing by me, obviously still in a rush despite this fact.

"We'll go in mine," I said over my shoulder. "Keys are on the counter, go quick and hop in." I didn't wait for a response before I turned back into the bathroom to find my son asleep standing up, face down on the counter with his toothbrush in his mouth. I chuckled shortly before lifting him again. "Oh you're getting too big for this, Joey Kangaroo."

As quick as I could, I undressed and then redressed him, managing to not wake him up until I put his head under the faucet and let it run. "No shower today, munchkin," I explained, running my hand through his hair. "We gotta go."

"Where's daddy?" he questioned as I set him down again, sticking my own head under the running water. I scrubbed it quickly before pulling back and using our usual face towel to ruffle it before doing the same to Joey.

"He's already down at the shop," I said lightly, tying my hair up with a band. "And now we're in a race to see who can get their shoes on and get down to the car to go see daddy first!"

"Yay!" was the only thing I heard before the little patter of feet running down the hall. Usually I wouldn't encourage him to run through the house but today was not my day.

I made my way back down to the kitchen, grabbing a banana and juice box from the fridge. I had a set of flip flops by the backdoor that I slipped on as I heard Joey come pounding down the stairs. He laughed hysterically, hurrying over to the front door and flinging it open as he exited the house. I winced when the knob slammed the wall behind it, but followed just as quick, not forgetting to lock up using the spare key from under the mat. By the time I reached the car, Mia was strapping Joey in, or at least attempting to since he was bouncing around so much.

"I win! I win!" he sang, waving his arms over his head as Mia finally buckled him correctly and moved to slide into the passenger seat.

"Oh, Joey, you beat me!" I cried dramatically, lifting my hands to the side of my face like the kid from Home Alone. "You get to hug and kiss daddy first when we get to the shop." He cheered again as I slid into the driver's seat, taking the keys from Mia who gave me an amused smile.

"Life's a race, huh?" she teased as we pulled away from the house. I shook my head, puffing air through my lips theatrically.

"As if I don't get enough on the streets," I groaned, pulling onto the main road. Mia chuckled to herself, turning to stare out of the window as we made the trip down to the shop. I checked Joey in the rearview and saw him singing lowly to himself, no doubt a song he had learned from Jesse or myself.

"Do you know what the job was?" Mia asked suddenly, turning back to face me, eyes searching. I spared her a confused glance before returning my eyes to the road.

"No…" I mused, raising a confused eyebrow. "Dom said-"

"I know what Dom said," she cut across me lowly, picking at her finger nails. "I just thought maybe Jesse would have filled you in."

Part of me wanted to grow defensive at her words. Just because I had a kid with Jesse didn't mean I was automatically on the inside of everything he did. He held a lot of respect for Dom after all these years and what he said was pretty much law. On top of that there was the fact I had been Mia's friend for a large chunk of my life now. Had I known what the job was, I would've told her, no questions asked. I shot her a frown, trying to say all of this without opening my mouth. She settled bath in her seat, avoiding my eye as we continued on in silence.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Are you and daddy married?" Mia and I both took pause to look into the rearview.

"Where'd you hear that from, Joey kangaroo?" she asked, turning to look at him over the back of her seat. I couldn't see him but I heard his feet kick against his seat.

"Brian," he answered innocently. My grip tightened on the wheel. That new guy was just a bit too nosy for my tastes sometimes. Of course I would never say anything out loud, less the guys decide to take the issue into their own hands. Plus there were always Mia's feelings to consider…

"Brian told you your mommy and daddy are married?" she asked, an obvious hint of doubt in her voice the same way it was in mine whenever I had to ask the boy if he had actually brushed his teeth.

"He said most mommies and daddies are," Joey clarified.

"Really?" I rejoined the conversation finally. "Where was I?" I was truly curious as to when Brian had found the time to talk to my son about the sacrament of marriage when I hadn't been around.

"Making tuna." Mia and I both nodded in understanding, thoughtful hums pulsating through our throats. That made sense, since whenever Brian came in [every morning] he questioned the quality of the tuna sandwich before ordering one. No crust. I shot the older woman a warning look before glancing at Joey in the rearview.

"No, munchkin, me and daddy aren't married," I explained gently, doing my best to keep a sigh out of my tone.

"Oh," the young boy chimed, not sounding at all concerned one way or another. That was probably what I liked best about having a child. No matter what I did, right or wrong in my eyes, he still loved me at the end of the day. The feeling was mutual to say the least. "Okay."

"Okay, we're here," Mia announced as I pulled into my usually parking space in front of the shop/diner. Joey yelled in Joey, the conversation we had just had already wiped from his mind as he anticipated seeing his father. I smiled softly to myself, getting out and reaching to unstrap him. "See you inside."

I waved her on ahead, as the last buckle came off and I hoisted Joey up onto my hip. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Will you and daddy ever _get _married?" I chuckled lowly, shifting my jaw around as I walked into the diner side door –the front wasn't open yet.

"Maybe, sweetie, maybe." He nodded, content with this answer for the time being as we passed Dom's cage like sitting room. I wrapped my knuckles across the iron, waving to him as I made my way towards the garage. He returned the gesture, barely turning away from the television.

"Hey, there she is!" Jesse beamed as soon as I walked into the garage. I shot him a reproachful look and he blanched, no doubt remembering he'd promised to be there when I woke up. Still though, he approached me for a kiss and Joey would have none of it.

"No, daddy!" he exclaimed, making Jesse jump back as he threw his tiny fists up. "I won the race, I get hugs and kisses first!"

I just shook my head at my boyfriend's confused glance. He humored our son, taking him from my arms and swinging him about in greeting. I smiled softly to myself, forgetting to be angry for half a second as I watched the two of them. Maybe most mommies and daddies were married, but I knew that we didn't need it to prove we were a family.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the wait but I hope everyone liked this, cause the idea just sort of came out of no where. Review!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!  
><strong>**~monie**


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